


You’re My Flashlight

by BriMarie



Category: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxious Ricky Bowen (HSMTMTS), Childhood Friends, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Friends to Lovers, Hurt Ricky Bowen (HSMTMTS), Hurt/Comfort, Nini Salazar roberts - Freeform, Nini is an angel, Nini is his anchor, Ricky Bowen Needs A Hug (HSMTMTS), Ricky is BABY, Sad Ricky Bowen (HSMTMTS), high school musical the musical the series - Freeform, hsmtmts, it got fluffier by the end, ricky bowen - Freeform, rini - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-16 17:35:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28585839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BriMarie/pseuds/BriMarie
Summary: Nini helping Ricky cope with his chronic panic attacks and nightmares of a traumatic event over the years.
Relationships: Ricky Bowen & Nini Salazar-Roberts, Ricky Bowen/Nini Salazar-Roberts
Comments: 14
Kudos: 38





	You’re My Flashlight

**Author's Note:**

> I may or may not have started singing the entirety of Flashlight when I named this fic after it.
> 
> **There's some violence in this btw, but only in the beginning!**

March 6, 2009.

A day that was supposed to be just like every other, but now it had been tainted forever for the Bowen household. 

Everyone in that household can remember the day as if it were yesterday. Therapy helped sometimes, but it was basically pointless, especially for Ricky.

But perhaps in order for you to understand, you need to hear what happened first.

It was exactly 45 degrees Fahrenheit in Salt Lake City. There was a slight chill in the air, the clouds were gray, signaling that a storm was upon them. It's almost as if mother nature were trying to warn the Bowen's that an evil endeavor was amongst them. 

Ricky had been home from elementary school for a few hours now. His mother had come in the door not too long ago, greeting her only child with a brief hello before turning on some music as she got started on dinner. Mike Bowen was at work; he always worked late since he got his new job at that insurance firm. 

At 7:31 pm, Lynne calls her son down to eat dinner. The sound of his little feet could be heard as he ran down the stairs, already knowing the smell of spaghetti and meatballs, his favorite meal. 

The 4th grader hopped up into the kitchen chair and started scarfing down the noodles, not caring that his face was getting messier by the second. His mother tried to get him to calm down but knew in the end he'd end up doing what he wanted. 

The clock reads 8:02 pm. The clouds have turned black, thunder could be heard from the distance, and the wind was blowing hard against the window. Lynne is in the kitchen cleaning off their dinner plates while Ricky is in his room with a full stomach, preparing for bed. He was excited to see his best friend, Nini, tomorrow since they had a play date scheduled after school. 

Ricky hears the front door open; he doesn't think much of it since his dad usually came around this time. That is until he hears his mother scream like a banshee and a few dishes breaking. 

The commotion gets his attention, and he immediately goes to inspect the source of the ruckus. The rain seems to be falling down a little harder above him with each step. As he runs, he has a feeling in his chest telling him to turn around. (He wishes he listened looking back). 

He quickly sprints down the stairs and searches for his mother. He sees where a plate had been thrown against the wall. His eyes travel to the kitchen. All he sees is more shattered glass and a little blood, but not too much. But any amount of blood is enough to be concerned. 

He looks down and sees his mother's feet from behind the counter; she was clearly laying on the floor based on her position. He heard her whimper, so he walked up to her with caution. He gasped when he finally got a look at her.

She had a few marks on her face and arms, but the real damage was on her chest. Someone had given her a pretty deep slash with what he assumed must've been something sharp. He began tearing up due to fear and concern.

When Lynne sees him, her eyes widen in fear for him. She realized he was vulnerable to the monster in their home, and there was nothing she could do about it. She mustered up whatever strength she had in her and pointed to the house phone on the counter.

"R-Ricky...honey call...help."

Though her words were broken, he knew what she meant. Before he could reach the phone, he heard footsteps coming from the living room. He turned around and saw a very tall and muscular man with a black ski mask on. Despite his terrifying demeanor, only one thing stuck out the most about the monster in front of him.

His eyes.

They were soulless, as if it wasn't a human behind all those layers of clothing, but some mythical creature he heard about in all those fairy tales his teacher read to his class. But he didn't fear those monsters because they were fake; this one was _real._

The criminal and the child had a stare down, wondering who was going to make a move first. He can overhear his mom struggling to breathe behind him and hates that he can't do much right now to help her.

Suddenly, the monster is approaching him, and Ricky knew he had to get out of there. He began running the opposite direction, but the man was much faster and stronger than the 9 year old. The man had grabbed Ricky by the leg, causing him to fall on his back on the ground.

Ricky screamed for his life as did his mother. The man had dragged him all the way to the opposite side of the house since he knew it was far from the home phone. He finally lets go of him and kneels down so that they're somewhat eye level. 

Ricky got a real good look into his eyes as the man glared at him. They weren't just soulless, they were emotionless, dead, almost borderline haunting. His eyes were the color gray with no speck of light gleaming from the small chandelier in the room. 

He sees a few strands of curly black hair fall from the mask. Ricky sees his entire short life flash before his eyes. He thinks about all the things he didn't get to do. He never got to go to Disneyland. He never got to experience middle school; he'll never know what it's like to graduate. He'll never see his friends grow up with him.

Ricky barely remembers anything that happens next since it happened in a flash. Next thing he knows is that he feels a sharp pain on his abdomen and hears the monster utter a few words before making a rapid exit to the front door. He feels something wet on his shirt, so he reaches down to touch it.

Red.

It coated his hand, and it made him want to scream. He pulls up his shirt to see the damage. He saw quite the cut on his torso, but it wasn't deep enough that he'd bleed out. But it was enough to scar him for life. 

He slowly gets up from the floor using all the strength he had to walk over to his mom. It takes him a full minute to get to her, and he was pleased to see her chest was still moving. He got on his tippy toes to grab the phone and dialed for help.

The rest of the night felt like a fever dream. The paramedics and police arrived twenty minutes later. His dad had rushed home after hearing what had happened and broke down into tears when he saw his wife on a stretcher and his son with a scar on his chest. 

Ricky gets asked a series of questions that he couldn't even begin to remember now. Ricky and his parents all go to the hospital while the police searches for DNA. He still remembers all the flashing lights and nosy neighbors who surrounded his house. 

Ricky stays on bedrest for two full days to recover from his scar, but nothing compared to the damage left in his soul. His dad signs him up for therapy, already knowing this was something that his kid would need without even asking him. 

Lynne doesn't come home for three weeks as she was getting treated for her wounds and asked the same questions Ricky got by the police. She tries to appear as if she's not as traumatized when she's around Ricky, but he can see right through her façade. He also overhears when she cries to his dad, but he says nothing. 

They find out a month later that the monster had come to retrieve his mother's wedding ring since it was an heirloom that was stolen from his family and placed in the store Mike had bought it in. Mike felt guilty despite not knowing that ahead of time. Lynne tries to comfort him and say it's not his fault, but it doesn't help much. 

Ricky doesn't return to school until another month has passed, and he was terrified to return. Everyone had known what happened at the Bowen residence; it was the biggest talk of the town since nothing this major happens on this side of Salt Lake. 

Nini tried her best to help him, but there was only so much she could do. Ricky stayed silent for the most part, only uttering a few words when it was absolutely necessary. He really only spoke to his teachers and Nini at school, having no desire to speak to the other kids.

He always hears the whispers in the halls when he walks by, and he has to pretend like it doesn't bother him. He also gets the occasional bold kid that'll walk up to him and ask what happened; Ricky always found an excuse to dodge answering those. He hated remembering any part of that night.

But the attention he hated the most was the sympathetic comments. He hated being treated like he was some ticking time bomb. The only thing that really kept him sane was Nini at this point. She was only one he was willing to talk about the incident with; she knew more than his therapist did.

But Nini wasn't always around when he needed it, and those were truly his darkest moments. Two months after the break in, Ricky gets an intense nightmare. He sees random flashes of the man's lifeless eyes, he feels his hands on his ankle, and he feels the man striking his chest. 

He wakes up a sweating mess, and his heart was beating at a rapid pace. He lifts his shirt to see if he was bleeding and felt relief when he saw it was healed. But he still wasn't at ease yet; he feels the need to check on his mom.

He tip toes to his parent's room and slowly opens their door. He peaks his head in to see if she were in there. He only saw his dad and began internally panicking until he sees his mom appear from their bathroom. He finally lets himself relax and returns to his bed.

He tries to drift back into sleep but was afraid he'd see those same haunting eyes staring back at him. He doesn't get a lick of sleep that night, and the cycle continues all week. The following two weeks, he struggled to go about his schedule. 

Nini being the attentive friend she is noticed this when she saw him dozing off during their history class. When class ends, she quickly runs up to his side in the hallway.

"Hey, are you okay?" 

He yawned and rubbed his eyes. "I'm just really tired. I didn't get a lot of sleep." 

She frowned, already having an idea on why. "Why's that?"

He looked around the hallway to see if anyone was going to try to eavesdrop. When he feels it's too crowded, he pulls her to a quieter corner. 

"I-I still see the man."

She raises her brows in concern. "What do you mean you keep seeing him? Like he came to your house again?"

He shakes his head. "No, I see him when I go to sleep. He keeps appearing in my dreams, Nini. I can't escape him."

Nini's heart broke for him. She knew there wasn't too much she could do to fix his dreams, so she held out her arms for him for a hug. He forms a crooked smile and accepts her embrace.

She pulled away and slid her bracelet off her wrist. "If you have those nightmares again, just hold my lucky charm bracelet and think of happy stuff. It's not much, but maybe it'll help."

"Are you sure? I know how much you love that thing."

She nods and places it in his hand. "I'm super sure! You're more important than some silly bracelet anyways."

He blushes and slides the bracelet on his wrist. "Thank you Nini."

"Anytime!"

He gives her one more hug before they both walk to their next class. That night, he kept the bracelet on before going to bed. When he dreams, he still sees his house but there's no man invading his home. 

There's music playing from the radio. His mom is happily singing along to some song before his time as she cooks dinner, like she usually did. His dad is also there helping his mom in the kitchen, which he used to do before he got that new job. It was almost as if life went back to normal for a tad bit.

He knew it was a dream, but he allowed himself to believe it was reality. He finally gets his first goodnight's rest in three months that night. Maybe that lucky charm was magic after all.

***

It's been three years since the incident, and the Bowen household was still coping from it. They all were a little on edge about home security since then. They had installed more locks, home security cameras, and a house alarm system. 

Lynne never really got over it, and it was getting harder for her to hide it. She held in her pain more than Ricky did, so she was always a little distant. His parents don't really talk as much as they used to, and he can't really remember the last time they ate dinner all together except for on holidays. 

Mike was always checking on them every hour of the day when he knew it was just the two of them at home. Most people would find it annoying, but Ricky and Lynne knew that he was also dealing with trauma too. He still hasn't forgiven himself. 

Ricky was the most well off since he was the most open with his feelings in the household, but that didn't mean he was an open book either. He still had random flashbacks of the night and a few nightmares every once in a while. 

He had ended up keeping that charm bracelet Nini gave him when he was 9. For the most part, it worked. When it didn't, he'd text or call her to calm himself down. 

Today, he had gone to the movies with a few of his friends. He didn't even check what kind of movie they were going to see. He was just happy to get out of his house, knowing that his mind would wander to that horrible night if he stayed.

He was enjoying the film so far. It was some kind of action movie with a few A-Listers. Thirty minutes in, the main character ends up alone in their home. While they were going about their business, someone breaks through their window. The intruder is a man dressed in all black with a black ski mask.

Ricky feels his breathing become inconsistent, his eyes begin to well up, and he feels his arms shaking uncontrollably. He feels a soft hand land on top of his making him flinch. 

He sees it's Nini giving him a very worried look. "Hey, is everything alright?" 

He can't even speak; he just shakes his head before springing up from his seat. He ran to the theater lobby before anyone can ask where he's going. He sits in the first seat he can find to calm his nerves. 

He didn't expect to have an episode in public like this. He could see some people were staring at him a little concerned as he was noticeably panting as if he ran a marathon. He was so disassociated with his surroundings that he didn't hear someone sit beside him. 

He jumps when he sees a hand on his leg but quickly relaxed when he sees it's Nini's. 

"Sorry I-I couldn't...I just couldn't."

She interlaced their hands. "You don't have to explain yourself to me. I'm the one who should be apologizing. We should've checked if there would be any robbery scenes before inviting you." 

"It's not your fault either Neens. I'm just overreacting."

"Ricky, you're not overreacting at all. That incident really took a toll on you, and it's completely reasonable to be triggered by scenes like that. Never feel guilty about that." 

He wipes a few of his tears away before holding onto her hand a little tighter. "Is it cool if we just chill out here until the movie is over? I don't think I can go back in there, but I don't really wanna go home either." 

"We can do whatever you like. I'll be right here." 

He makes a slight grin before scooting closer to her. She leans her head on his shoulder, and he let his head gently rests on top of hers. Ricky allows himself to lull off into a peaceful slumber, dreaming of the girl beside him. 

***

By freshman year of high school, Ricky is somewhat okay. Well as okay as a person who survived a fatal attack could be. His parents don't talk to each other at all unless it's important or about Ricky. He already knew that one of these days a divorce would come; it was just a matter of when. 

He talks to his dad more since Mike was coming to terms with his guilt. His dad also got a little therapy over the years to help open up more for the sake of his son. Ricky didn't really like talking to his mom as much anymore, and it seemed she felt the same.

It wasn't from disdain on either ends. He actually kind of wished it were from hatred though because even people who despised each other at least yelled at one another. They didn't even have that. It was just silence. 

Regardless of how much time has passed, they both get flashbacks to that night when they look at each other. He hated that about their dynamic because he actually used to have a decent relationship with her before the incident. 

They walked passed each other like strangers in their own home, and he didn't miss when she'd absentmindedly trace along her matching scar when she passed him. 

Ricky never got over his scar. He hated being shirtless since he always had a permanent mark to remind him of that night forever. Every time he looks at it, he feels the pain from the cut all over again. 

During PE, he was taking his jersey from flag football off when he accidentally pulls up his shirt high enough to show his scar. He didn't even notice he did it until he hears a gasp from three guys in his class.

"Bro, that's one hell of a scar. How'd you get that?" One of the kids ask.

Ricky's eyes widen at the question.

"Yeah man, it looks like someone sliced you good. It's kinda badass." Another kid says. 

Ricky stays still, too shaken up to move.

"Oh wait, you're Ricky Bowen, right? Weren't you that kid who got cut by that bandit five years ago? Damn dude, I'm surprised you survived with a cut like that." The third kids says. The other guys all make a face of realization when the third kid connected the dots. 

"Did they ever catch that guy?" The first kid asks.

The second guy shrugged. "I'm not sure, but I hope so." 

Ricky felt like he couldn't breathe as the guys continued to ask him questions. "I-I can't stay here." 

He tosses his jersey to the ground and ran under the bleachers. He began hyperventilating as he got abrupt flashbacks of that night. He hasn't had an episode in so long and forgot how terrifying they could be. 

He doesn't know how to stop it alone, so he calls the one person he knew could. 

She picks up immediately since he never called during the school day unless it was an emergency.

"Ricky, what's wrong?"

"I-I can't...breathe."

"Where are you?"

"B-bleachers." 

"I'm on my way."

Soon after, he sees her running up to him. She crouched down beside him and rested a hand on his back. "Ricky, remember what I told you to do when you can't breathe?"

He nods. "Y-yes."

"Do you think you can do it?"

He just nods and tries to concentrate on breathing as he closed his eyes. He was struggling to do so until he feels Nini's hand rubbing up and down his back. He decides to focus on that instead and found himself slowly calming down.

When his breathing returned to normal, he looks over to Nini. "Thank you, I don't think I would've remembered without you."

She smiles as she continued to comfort him with back rubs. "You know I'll always be here for you." 

He averts his eyes to the ground and blushes. "I know." 

"What triggered it this time?"

His face fell at the mention of it. "Oh, some guys on the field asked about my scar and the robbery when they saw it by accident. I'm sure they didn't mean harm."

She felt her blood boil under her skin. Her fist balled up, and her face turned red from anger. "Which guys?"

"The ones in the yellow jerseys by the soccer goal." 

She gets up from her spot and glares daggers at the guys. "I'll be back." 

He didn't notice her aggressive demeanor until he saw the rage on her face. "Wait Neens, what're you-" 

"Stay put." 

She hears Ricky mutter something, but she doesn't register it. She only had tunnel vision for the three dudes who were in for something unpleasant. When she finally arrives in front of the boys, they're all confused by her presence. 

"Uh hi?" One of them says.

She doesn't even waste time exchanging pleasantries. She swings her fist straight at the kid's nose. The kid falls on his ass and grabs his now bleeding nose. The other two look at her with anger.

"What the hell?!"

Nini strikes the next guy's crotch with her foot, making him fall to his knees. The third guy was debating on even coming closer to her, scared of what she'd do. She isn't in a merciful mood though. She elbows the last dude's stomach, resulting in him losing his breath for a moment before joining the other two on the grass. 

She stands above them with a stern face. "That's for being insensitive assholes to my friend, dicks." 

She turns on her heels and makes her way back to Ricky behind the bleachers. Ricky stared at her in both shock and awe. 

"Neens, you didn't have to do that."

"No one gives my friend a panic attack and gets away with it."

"You realize you're gonna get in hella trouble right?"

She shrugs. "Worth it." 

He chuckles before pulling her into a hug. "You're crazy."

"Crazy about protecting you." 

He buries his head in her shoulder. "Come on, let's go to the principal's office. Maybe they'll be a little sympathetic if you turn yourself in."

"Yeah that's smart." 

She reached up and pecked his cheek before joining their hands together. His face became warm at her gesture since she's never done that before. He couldn't stop stealing glances at her as they walked hand in hand to the office.

His heart was beating rapidly, but for once it wasn't from a panic attack. 

(She ends up getting a two week suspension and doesn't regret it one bit.)

***

Senior year was overall tame for Ricky. His parents had finally filed for divorce a year ago. Even though he knew it was a long time coming, it still hurt. He has never lived in a house with just one parent.

His mom decided to move to Chicago a few months ago, thinking that maybe a new scene is what she needed to possibly find herself again. Ricky and Mike were supportive of her, wanting her to finally find peace with the past.

The absence of his mother was oddly therapeutic, which he hated to admit. Since they were each other's abiding reminders of that night, being around one another depressed them. Now that she's not here, he's been more comfortable at home. 

According to his mom, she seems to be happy over in the Windy City. She sends updates every once in a while, and she's always smiling in all her pictures. He hasn't seen her that joyful in years. Maybe this was the best for everyone. 

Ricky is more open with his dad. Mike's aware of his nightmares and sudden panic attacks now and tries to help him as much as possible. Ricky already told him that he usually finds comfort in Nini. His dad had joked about him having a little crush on her, and Ricky just blushed because he couldn't even deny it. Life seemed like it was finally carrying on, but he was foolish for thinking so naïvely.

On his and Nini's walk to theater class, he unintentionally bumps into a guy. When he gets a glimpse at the kid, he pales. The teen had black curly hair and eyes so gray they almost looked unnatural. 

The teen boy looks at him most likely confused on why Ricky had been staring at him as if he were some supernatural being. "Yo dude, are you good?" The teen asks.

Ricky doesn't say anything. He turns around and runs as far away as possible. He could hear Nini calling out to him, but he didn't stop. 

His feet don't stop moving until it leads him up to the school's rooftop. He only went there whenever he was stressed, wanted to be alone, or had an episode. 

He finally stops his motions when he sits on the bench. He starts doing the routines that Nini and his therapist had advised. He closed his eyes as he fiddled with the charm bracelet trying to think of all the fond memories he had with Nini. 

He remembered her lovely smile, her laugh, her beautiful face, and her soft touches that always sent a shiver down his spine. He felt himself calming by the second.

"Ricky?"

He opens his eyes and wasn't too surprised Nini had found him. She already knew all his hide outs when he had attacks, and this one was always his first choice. 

"I'm sorry. He just looked so much like...his eyes were just so similar...I can't explain it." 

She sat down beside him and placed her hand on his inner thigh. "You have nothing to apologize for. I think I have an idea of what happened when I got a look at him. I can see why you'd be unnerved." 

"I think I'm starting to calm down again. You're techniques are working."

She rests her head on his shoulder like she always did when he had an episode. "That's good." She turns her head so that she can see his face. "I'm going to be by your side until you're ready."

He meets her eye. "I appreciate it, but you'll be late for theater."

She waved him off. "Ms. Jenn will understand when I explain what happened. Besides, we're only blocking again today, so whatever."

"You sure?"

"Never been more sure in my life." 

He smiled and puts his hand on top of hers. "Thank you for always being here for me. You're truly amazing."

Her cheeks becomes rosy as she turns her head away to hide her face. "Oh stop."

"What? I'm just saying the truth. You're probably the best thing that's happened to me."

She nudges him. "Stop you're making me blush."

"You look cute when you blush." 

His comment makes her look back up at him. When their eyes meet, both of them couldn't ignore the intensity. The atmosphere between them had changed, and neither of them were uncomfortable with it. 

Ricky slowly approaches her face; his hand delicately rested on her cheek. Nini also began closing the distance. Her palm traveled from his thigh up his chest. She grazed over his scar, which usually would make him uneasy, but it does the opposite. 

He presses his lips onto hers and felt butterflies in his stomach. He brings her face closer to deepen the kiss. She grips his shirt to pull him near her. He detaches their lips to gaze at her to make sure this wasn't a cruel dream showing what it would be like to kiss her. 

When she rubs her hand over his scar again, he knows it's reality. She gives him a peck on the lips before resting her chin on his arm.

"Well, that happened."

He didn't tear his eyes away from her. "Yeah, it did."

She diffidently played with her skirt. "So um did you...feel anything?"

He couldn't stop the smile that formed on his face at how adorable she looked when she was bashful. He cupped her face and stared into her eyes. 

"Nini, I've felt something for a long time now."

She smiles. "Me too."

He beams and plants a doting kiss to her lips that both immediately melted into, letting all of his former worries fade away.

***

Ricky is sure he's never been so happy in his life.

Ricky and Nini have been dating since that day on the rooftop, and every day was better than the last. They attended colleges that were only an hour away, not wanting to be too far from each other. 

After they graduated, they had moved into an apartment together in the heart of Salt Lake. Since Nini is around all of the time, he rarely ever gets any nightmares or panic attacks anymore. The infrequent times he did, she always came to his rescue. 

When he was entering their apartment, he turned the nozzle and was unsettled that it was already unlocked. His heart began pounding. Neither of them ever left the door unlocked at any point in time.

He cautiously opens the door and observes the apartment for any trace of an intruder. He almost has a heart attack when he hears their bedroom door open. Nini appears in her pjs and was startled to see him staring at her through the door.

"Shit Ricky, I didn't hear you come in."

He begins settling down when he realized that there was no sign of a criminal in their home. He lets out a sigh he wasn't aware he was holding in as he locked the door behind him.

"You're safe."

She gives him a lost expression. "Yeah of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

"You left the door unlocked. I thought that maybe..."

Her grin fell when she registered what he thought happened. She walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. 

"I'm so sorry babe. I must've forgotten to lock it when I brought in all those groceries. You must have been terrified."

He held her tightly and buried his face in her shoulder. "It's okay; just remember to check next time."

She begins tearing up a bit. "I feel awful."

He pulls back so he can wipe her tears away. "Hey, it's okay. Everybody slips up every once in a while, even someone as perfect as you."

She smiles. "What did I do to deserve such an incredible boyfriend?"

He rolls his eyes. "Me? Incredible? Please, you're definitely the better half of this duo."

She playfully slaps his arm. "Take that back! I do not accept any Ricky slander in my home."

"No." He places a kiss on her forehead. "I'll get started on dinner."

He gives her a fleeting kiss before departing to the kitchen. She followed after him and began helping him prep. He stuck his finger in some of the spaghetti sauce and swiped it on her face. 

She gasped and retaliated by flicking a spoon of parmesan at his chest. That started a whole food fight between the pair, resulting in ingredients everywhere except in the bowls and pans. 

When they see how ridiculous they looked caked in food, they both laughed wholeheartedly. When they cleaned up their mess, they actually made dinner. After eating and conversing about their days, they retired to bed. 

They faced one another as they cuddled under the sheets. He placed a series of kisses along her shoulder as she traced his scar. 

"I love you so much." 

She looks up at him and kisses his lips tenderly. 

"I love you too, more than you'll ever know."

***

_I'm stuck in the dark but you're my flashlight  
You're gettin' me through the night_

**Author's Note:**

> Quick announcements:
> 
> Damn, I really put Ricky in pain twice in a row huh? Don't worry; next one will be happy when I come back from my minor hiatus. 
> 
> Speaking of that, I'll be taking a little break from one shots to focus on my smut multichapter. If I find time, I'll post in between, but don't count on it. I'll post on Valentines Day for sure though, so that's something to look forward to. 
> 
> Someone had requested I do something similar to this; hope you enjoyed it! Til' next time!
> 
> Also, I posted today since I knew a new wave of drama will occur due to Sabrina letting out Skin. I’m just gonna post anytime ik drama will happen.
> 
> Quote is from Flashlight by Hailee Steinfeld/Jessie J.


End file.
